Elbow @ The O2 Arena, London - 16/04/2014

Photo: Richard Gray

"I am electric with a bottle in me, and I've got it in me," pines Guy Garvey on tonight's opener 'Charge'. "And glory be, these fuckers are ignoring me - I'm from another century."

That lyric sums up Elbow pretty perfectly. Not only are the vast majority of their tracks odes to drinking, but they are indeed a band utterly out of time. From their origins to the stadium-filling status of today, they've always existed outside of the Zeitgeist, but it's that timeless, classic but ultimately human approach to songcraftsmanship that has made them one of the biggest bands in Britain today. 

That popularity has seen Garvey's Northern charm blossom into the makings of one of the greatest showmen you can ever hope to see. With a restless befriending banter, he could sell snow to eskimos, rice to India, rain to Manchester and even convince tens of thousands of Wednesday night gig-goers into carrying out his impressive patented 'split-reverse Mexican wave'. "It's my own invention," he smiles, "but I have licensed it to Chris Martin."

There's no doubt that Coldplay have done alright for themselves when it comes to huge gigs, but they could never make them feel intimate like this. "To absent friends," smiles Garvey introducing 'Real Life (Angel)', raising a glass as the O2 gladly cheers him back. 

"The whole 'mourning period thing is bollocks," he continues. "If you miss someone, you miss them forever - my advice is to have a tipple with people who miss them too. Choose your drinks wisely, and choose your company wisely."

We couldn't be in better company, as the former Millenium Dome is transformed into Garvey's front room. Make mine a double. 

The only real criticism is that they neglect so much of their back catalogue. With the exception of the gut-wrenching 'Great Expectations', there's no material aired from their first three records. Therein lies the only tragegy. When Elbow won the Mercury (and everything else) for The Seldom Seen Kid, the cheers were so great because they had been so deserving for so long - whether it was the trip-hop meets art-rock of Asleep In The Back, the proto-stadium wonder of Cast Of Thousands or the epic eclecticism of Leaders Of The Free World. It must be said, that Elbow don't get enough credit for the amount of ground they've covered, and it's a shame to not have it all represented tonight. 

Saying that, it's hard to see the casual dads in top tiers swaying along to 'Any Day Now' or Guy Garvey triumphant striding down the gangway to 'Fugitive Motel'. Elbow are a stadium band now, and deserve credit for knowing their audience and tailoring a stadium-ready set. In doing so, you can tell it's effected their songwriting - as they now translate the artful weirdness of their past into their larger than life anthemics of the present. Anyone who would accuse Elbow of wondering into the middle of the road should be directed straight to 'Fly Boy Blue/Lunette' - an epic but ultimately human soundscape about the romance and pitfalls of growing old, leaning sonically towards the dark but soulful and eclectic sound of the band's earlier work.

From the piercing grunge blues of 'Grounds For Divorce' to the heartswell of 'My Sad Captains', tonight alone proves they still have edge and imagination, but it sounds fittingly huge here - in this vast enormodome, a cross between an airport and a shopping mall. 

As balloons rain for the inevitable closer of 'One Day Like This' and the teary-eyed masses sway along is ecstasy, no one would complain over spilled beer - or deny the band to only get bigger from here. 

Prepare yourselves, Glastonbury and V Festival, the epic band you see before you will be headlining in no time. We'll drink to that. 

Elbow played:
Charge
The Bones of You
Fly Boy Blue / Lunette
Real Life (Angel)
The Night Will Always Win
New York Morning
The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver
Great Expectations
The Blanket Of Night
Mirrorball
The Birds
Grounds for Divorce
My Sad Captains
Encore:
Starlings
Lippy Kids
One Day Like This

Below: 17 exclusive photos of Elbow's spectacular O2 Arena show